The island of La Reunion is one of the most unique destinations I have been to in all my life. It is a tiny undiscovered Island close to Mauritius and is a thrill seekers paradise. During my adventure trip, I stayed at LUX* La Reunion, which is the only 5* resort on the Island and provided the perfect platform to explore this hidden gem in the Indian Ocean. Caribbean style white beach houses, an idyllic pool and deliciously fresh restaurants is LUX* in a nutshell. Not to mention the white sandy beach, turquoise sea and dusky pink sunsets (just in case I fancied giving that relaxation thing a go).
Gateway to Paradise!
Situated on l’Hermitage, the island’s largest lagoon, LUX* La Reunion is merely a baby in the luxury hotel scene. Opening it’s doors back in 2011 it is only 2 years old, and has already wow’ed guests with its unique concept of ‘Island Light’. A product of the hotel’s rigorous rebranding process, ‘Island Light’ provides a lighter and brighter island experience that puts their LUX* stamp in every nook and cranny of the resort.
The concept is playful and features whimsical pop-ups that magically appear around the hotel. I loved the little extras such as a secret honesty bar hidden in a tree, an open-air beach cinema under the stars, an ice-cream shack serving ‘ici’ ice-cream with fruits from the island. These are just a few ways in which LUX* La Reunion plays around with their guests. A firm favourite of mine was the message in a bottle, which is hidden around the hotel grounds daily for guests to discover. The lucky guest finds a note in the bottle, which treats them to anything from a free massage to a free bottle of LUX* Scrucap wine. Sadly I never spotted one during my stay, but I had my eyes firmly peeled!
On the LUX* beach at sunset … an unforgettable moment for me. Great photography skills if i do say so myself!
The LUX* ethos actively encourages their guests to try out as many activities on the island as possible. Everything can be arranged from the comfort of the concierge desk and if you need a little inspiration, the concierge staff are clued up about everything that this beautiful island has to offer. The hotel arranged for me and my group to experience an Island tour, a mountain trek and an amazing helicopter ride with the greatest of ease. Read about my helicopter ride in more detail here
Slightly worse for wear! Me (right) and the lovely journo gang post-trek!
The possibilities on La Reunion are endless and the beauty of staying at LUX* resort is that we could plan as much or as little as we wanted. I loved how LUX* La Reunion offered classic beach activities with a twist, without even having to step outside the resort. The resort’s ingenious spin on traditional kayaking comes in the form of transparent kayaks. ‘Why hasn’t anyone thought of this sooner?’ I thought to myself as I kayaked around the lagoon and marvelled at all the amazing tropical fish beneath me. Sea turtles are very common in the lagoon and were spotted by many hotel guests that day.
LUX*’s transparent kayaks
As darkness fell on La Reunion, LUX* resort became a hub of evening activity for it’s thrill seeking guests as everyone recalled the day’s triumphs. The three restaurants bustled with atmosphere as a soothing live acoustic set is echoed around the resort. Each restaurant has it’s own identity, menu and theme, giving a variety of dining options during their stay.
The aptly named La Plage Restaurant is located directly on the beach in a gourmet beach shack style and was my ultimate favourite restaurant in the resort. With candlelit tables, fresh local seafood and the relentless lapping of the shore, this was seafront dining at its finest. The table side show cooking brought an element of lighthearted performance to the dining experience and illustrated just how passionate and precise the LUX* chefs are about what they do.
Table side show cooking from the head chef himself!
I started with a palm heart salad, garnished with fresh prawns, fried in garlic butter and local island rum. The texture of the finely shredded salad combined perfectly with the succulent and flavorsome prawns. I followed with pan-fried Legine fish, served with superbly baked potato and delicious greens. (Legine is a white fish only found around the waters of La Reunion, making it one of the Island’s specialties). To finish, I went for a light and tropical desert of papaya and pineapple carpaccio, served with home made pineapple ice cream. It was a totally tropical and blissful Island dining experience.
My lychee infused champagne at La Plage restaurant, right on the beach.
LUX* Resort in La Reunion is a unique hotel with one heck of a personality. Its charming features, picture perfect surroundings and unrivalled location make it the best luxury accommodation on the Island – no contest – and I would highly recommend it. So if you’re ever heading over to La Reunion’s neck of the woods, make sure LUX* Resort is your first stop.
Have you ever been to La Reunion or dreamed of visiting? I’d love to read you thoughts in the comment box below!
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I’ve been to La Reunion Island several times as my husband speaks French and his job has taken us there for work/play, and I absolutely love it as well! The vibe there is so different from the mainland, people are so friendly, chill, relaxed and welcoming. The weather is great as well and the sites are breath-taking, especially the volcano. We also love staying in this hotel every time we go – it’s serene but fun and lively at the same time, exceptional service (sometimes even too exceptional! :)) and the food is delicious. It made me so happy to read this article as I just discovered your blog today so I wanted to share my enthusiasm for this magical island – and for your wonderful blog! 🙂